Derek Kilbourn
Sounder News
A special general meeting has been called by the Board of the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District for September 18.
Two items are on the agenda for the meeting. The first is the Long Range Plan for the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD).
The Long Range Plan for the GVFD has been an ongoing project for the Board over the past year, with a community survey conducted this past February.
The meeting on September 18 is to allow the board to receive public input on the proposed long range plan.
The second item on the agenda is to allow public input on the proposed levy for 2025.
The levy is determined by the annual budget proposed by the Fire Board’s financial committee.
Neither the Long Range Plan nor the proposed levy for 2025 have been released.
Fire Board Chair Paul Giffin stated that as advertised in the Sept. 4 and Sept. 11 Sounder, the documents would be available on the GVFD web site (GabriolaFire.ca) on September 12.
See the ad in this Sounder for the details on the meeting time and location.
Giffin said, “Once we have had the meeting on the 18, we will take the information, and formally present the budget, levy bylaw, and long range plans, at the October monthly meeting.”
The October meeting is currently scheduled for October 2 for 4pm at the Albert Reed Memorial Fire Hall #1 on Church Street.
Bylaw 98 to be reviewed
Giffin noted that Bylaw 98, the bylaw which establishes the GVFD, could use a review, and requested the Board form a subcommittee to do this.
Giffin said the bylaw was last reviewed in September of 2021.
Since that time, the department has added a Deputy Fire Chief, and the Fire Safety Act has been passed by the Province.
He said, “it is appropriate..that the Bylaw be reviewed.”
The intent is for the committee (made up of Trustees Ray Appel, Kent Moen, and Diana Moher) to review the bylaw, and report back to the Board for the October meeting.
Complaints Policy Change
The Board has approved a chnage to the Fire District’s policy on handling complaints.
Giffin explained the amendment to the policy is to how long the Chair has to call a special meeting.
Currently the policy states the Chair shall – within two days of receiving a complaint – call a special meeting to be held within ten days.
The amendment will give the Chair five working days to call a special meeting, which has to be held within ten working days.
Giffin said the change is being made as, “it is difficult to meet the current deadlines.”
Fire Chief Monthly Report
Fire Chief Will Sprogis provided his regular report to the Board, covering both July and August in the statistics as there had not been an August meeting of the Board.
He noted the fire hazard rating on Gabriola was at moderate, and that campfires (but no other fires) are now allowed on Gabriola
In July, there was a total of 67 calls for the GVFD; and in August there were 52.
For both months, burn complaints and medical call-outs made up the majority of the calls for service.
In August, Sprogis and another member of the department were deployed to Armstrong BC, as part of the provincial wildfire response.
Sprogis said, “it was a great learning experience. We hope to have made the Fire Department around $19,000.”
The department has received two brand new fire skids for free from a non-profit organization called GlobalMedic. According to the GlobalMedic website, the intent of the fire skids is to give the ability for a department to turn a pick-up truck or utility vehicle into a small fire truck. Each skid is equipped with a 1,000-litre holding tank which can be filled with water. The units also have a pump and hoses attached. The pump is able to pressurize the water to create the high-pressure water stream required for fighting fires.
Firesmart update
Sprogis gave a report on the Firesmart program. This past summer, Firesmart volunteers took part in three of the Markets at the Agi Hall; received 32 requests for Home assessments; an gave two neighbourhood presentations. Currently, Firesmart activity is minimized as there is no funding available. Over the past year, over 1,000 households from Gabriola have attended the neighbourhood presentations.
Gabriola Fire Chief Will Sprogis with the Fire Skids the department received from GlobalMedic. Derek Kilbourn photo
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